then I'm 99.9% sure that Fabregas gone missing from the book is not true but I don't have it at hand right now to double-check. I did notice however that both Touré and Adebayor still had a profile page.

Benfica are give to sign contract with €20m Stephen Ireland. Sources next to the process affirm that the agreement is for briefing and the presentation can already be made in the next game to carry through in the Stadium of the Light. The adepts are in euphoria and anxious for seeing €20m Stephen Ireland to the service of the Biggest Club of the World.

Caldwell you arse, yes perhaps it was a bit harsh but still by the letter of the law he was right to send you off, what the fuck are you doing pulling carews jersey 3 minutes after getting booked in the first place? Idiot.
The capitulation of scotland after he went off was a disgrace, there was no shape and no organisation. Nobody kicked a fucking ball and because of this we got thumped 4-0 by an average team, what a fucking joke :(

Looking forward to the start of the SPL tomorrow, tricky first game for the manky mob but think aberdeen are too pish to get anything. We should beat Falkirk by a couple. Thoughts young blaaast?

i went over the Scotland game yesterday and agree with most of what you said. initially i thought the Caldwell sending off was harsh but looking at it again it's not - a clear bookable offense so he deserved to go. scotland fucking dreadful.

i don't like to say it but BURLEY OUT. he's clearly not the right man for the job. here's some stats for you:

I reckon Kyle & Burchill will score enough goals to keep them fairly safe. I'm expecting it to be between Falkirk, St. Johnstone and Hamilton. Think I'd plump for Falkirk if pushed.

Can't believe I wish I was going to Perth tomorrow! Hopefully our little Europa League run will give us a bit of an advantage in sharpness, although playing newly promoted teams first up is never easy. I'd take a point now if offered.

They can't really lose. They've got 2 of the 3 most marketable footballers on their books and as you say, made a killing on the 3rd of them. That's without thinking about what they could potentially do on the pitch.

We have made offers for the player, which makes it known that we want him. If his head has been turned by this offer then you really can't accuse City of foul play. We don't know the behind the scenes details, but there is no evidence of dodgy dealings, hotel rooms, agents meeting on park benches in macs and sunglasses. If anything it looks like our bids were made above Moyes head, and so he's getting all pissy that it doesn't stick to the "manager's code" of ringing up and having a natter first. We've made bids, we've increased bids when rejected, Moyes acts like we just punched his nan

Without meetings in backrooms, Mark Hughes' constant stream of press comments have been utterly disrespectful to Everton and deliberately designed to unsettle a player who is under contract to the club. Which I'm pretty sure constitutes tapping up.

Clubs are banned from "directly or indirectly" approaching a contracted player. It's obviously a bit of a grey area but I think there's a definite argument using the press to make a player aware of your interest constitutes an indirect approach.

Not in theory, anyway. I agree that coming out in the press and declaring interest in a player is a form of tapping up, but then so is leaking interest in a player to the press through mystery sources, and every football club in the world does that. Banning it would be a logistical nightmare. I also agree, however, that Mark Hughes as spoken about some players (at other clubs, natch) more than is reasonable. Harry Redknapp's past behaviour, in case anyone was considering bringing it up, is irrelevant.

and i agree, most clubs will do this indirectly using the press (although with City there's so many rumours it makes this form virtually useless).

The fact is this: Everton have come out every time saying "they've bid, we rejected". If City had said "we just bid for this player" then you could perhaps point the finger. Since Everton are the ones who've gone public i don't think you can accuse Leslie and chums of any malpractice

Just because Lescott knows City bid for him, for example, and nonetheless he doesn't want to leave Everton, that doesn't mean there isn't anything Hughes could say in the papers which would make him change his mind, even if it's just a matter of repeating it to make sure Lescott keeps it under consideration.

and I have a soft spot for Hull due to living there, but I can honestly see you doing a Derby. The fact that Hunt is probably your best signing says it all, he's a truly odious cunt who always looks busy but never actually does anything, I can't believe we managed to get £2.5-£3million for him

and will probably go out in a 4-5-1, and to be fair no one expects them to get anything at all from the game and all the pressure is on the Blues and Ancelotti to gain hiw first win. It'll be a highly competitive game from both sides, but I can just see Hull trying to stop the full backs getting forward. Watch out for Zayatte - he is a mentalist!

Birmingham have far better players than Hull, even with Hull's new signings. Hull are a team that were never good enough to go up and fluked it a bit in a season where other teams underperformed and were lucky that other teams out-inepted them at the end of last season. Hunt didn't really impress in the Championship for Reading last year and few Reading fans seem sorry to see the back of him (this wasn't just a reaction to him going - before he left a lot seemed to want rid of him). The rest are unknown qualities so it's hard to tell.

But Hull, Portsmouth and Burnley definitely have to start as favourites to go down. I actually reckon Burnley could stay up but I'd be amazed if Hull left the bottom three all season (this view may change if they buy a decent striker).

I mean just go on Youtube and you'll see that they're far FAR better than Daniel Cousin and Caleb Folan (and Manucho.) But the most important thing is that Michael Turner hasn't gone as he's easily the most consistent player at the club without doubt and Rafa eyes him up for a good reason. I just hope the Tigers don't have to endure the amount of drama/trauma as last season; from the exciting and unbelievable a start to the depressing downhill slide it was the equivalent of a night out getting mashed and the worst comedown ever the next day only to be rewarded by finding the wallet you thought you'd lost on the way home.

I've seen a fair bit of Altidore play from the MLS and the USA games in the Confederations Cup, and seen enough of Ghilas to decide that they are both miles better than Cousin and Folan who for a since they've signed to Hull City have had inconsistent form and have failed to flatter: Cousin has the ability to hold the ball up but often loses possesion. He scored 4 goals last season, two with his head and only really turns up against the big teams. Folan is a fucking carthorse, and has no awareness of his team mates. So yeah, I think it's fair to say that the new additions are far FAR better players. Never mind their goal to game ratios..

I only said look on youtube as to point out the qualities the players have. Of course they aren't going to show any howlers or moments of dodginess, but you know when you see a good footballer and a shit footballer.

it was as if Phil Brown sat on Pro Evo on Master League meticulously setting up his team for each forthcoming game. There we're a lot of injuries though and of course the whole Marlon King saga, if anything I think Hull played too much long ball in certain games. This time around I think the onus is on them playing more possesion based football instead of getting a full back to smash a hopeful box into the final third. It proper takes the piss sometimes watching that shite...

I rate Kamel Ghilas way above that guy. Stephen Hunt reminds me of Robbie Savage if anything... I think City have brought in the right players but letting Ricketts go leaves the backline a bit flimsier but then again no one's seen anything of Mouyokolo yet and he may start there tomorrow.

and most Championship centre-backs are pretty rubbish, really. I reckon if Coloccini can be taught to play in a style more befitting the Championship, he'll be okay; certainly your best option. Whether that's enough when you take his wages into account is another issue, but you'd certainly have to replace him if you sold him, and without an owner, that would no doubt be more difficult than just hanging on to him, at least until January.